Minneapolis | 3D Cities

The Star of the North

Minneapolis - Mini in its name, a whole heap of charm in its game. You betcha! Minnesota’s “Star of the North” shines across both banks of the mighty Mississippi River, and bustles bright and busy with a skyline of history and height. Out of the USA’s top 100 tallest buildings, this city has three (dontcha know?). Beyond its skyscrapers, Minneapolis is home to a sky of other architectural luminaries reflected in its lakes (22 in the city alone).

While Minneapolis offers Midwestern charm famous to Minnesotans, it’s also a formidable player on the national stage when it comes to tall buildings. The IDS Center (66th, 792’), stole the role of Minnesota’s tallest* building in 1972 when it surpassed Foshay Tower (after its towering reign as tallest for 43 years). There is also the Capella Tower (80th, 776’) crowned by a lit semicircle and is affectionately known as the “Halo Building.” And the Wells Fargo Center (81st,  775’), despite its nightly showing of floodlight illumination, was recognized as one of the 100 most energy efficient buildings in the US by the EPA.

*However, depending on who you ask, it is actually the Capella Tower (80th, 776’) that claims the fame of tallest, when it was discovered in 2005 that its builders secretly added 14” to its height.

“Minne” City; Big Details

Sure! Minneapolis has some impressive (and apparently controversial) tall buildings, however this landscape captured in a MiniCty model will have you looking at the city in a whole new light. Look for details like the Hennepin Avenue Bridge (first bridge ever built across the Mississippi River), Voya Financial 20 Washington, and Target Field, home of the Minnesota Twins.

The MiniCty models of Minneapolis are built from laser-scan data from 2011, so they are missing a few notable buildings: LPM Apartments, 365 Nicollet, 4Marq, and the new US Bank Stadium (Skol, Vikings!). This 8” model covers N 3rd Ave & N 1st St in the North to E 15th Street in the South, and from N12th St. in the West to just beyond the Guthrie Theater in the East (its “Endless Bridge” is a feat of cantilevered glass spanning 159’).

While our 8”x8” MiniCty models are standard, we also offer a variety of larger sizes to satisfy any desire. Sizes include 12”, 16”, 24”, 30”, 36”, up to a wall-covering 54”x54”. As the prints get larger, the buildings get bigger and the detail increases! But you get a lot more than simply buildings from MiniCty - you get every tree, bus, hill, park, bridge, and detail, and the largest prints include every car, fence, chimney, spire, and shrub! Check out the shop for prices, and ask us if you don’t see the size you want. We do custom work as well!

Banner photo by Tony Webster